Conjugated polymeric systems have been an area of research as some can provide conductive and light emitting and absorbing properties and thus have utility in electronics, molecular electronics and optoeletronics. Conjugated polymers have been made from various monomers and by various methods to yield a variety of polymers each with unique physical and electrical properties. These polymers include poly acetylenes, poly(pyrrole)s, polyanilines, polyazines, poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polycarbazoles, polyindoles, polyazepines poly(thiophene)s, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), poly(p-phenylene sulfide), poly(fluorene)s, polyphenylenes, polypyrenes, polyazulenes, polynaphthalenes and polybenzimidazoles. These are generally linear polymers with variable chain lengths that are described in the literature.
Polyarylenes are a group of aromatic conjugated polymers that are branched and dendritic. Polyarylenes are made by the reaction of alkynes or with aromatic halides in the presence of metal catalysts. These are generally granular, globular or have a coil morphology. Variations of these polymers include polymers made with branched side chains or dendritic structures and polymers with branched monomers incorporated with more than one site for polymer extension. These later polymers result in branched polymers, where the conjugated backbone bifurcates. Each has unique electronic, optical and magnetic properties. However, because all of these reactions are unidirectional, all of the polymers eventually terminate, forming powders or microspheres and do not form a networked solid material.
The present invention addresses previous shortcomings in the art by providing substrates for making conjugated polymers and methods for making conjugated polymers.